The burden of rising gasoline prices
Over the past time, the increase in gasoline prices has created great pressure on many gasoline drivers, especially those who work as technology drivers or passenger transport. The increase in fuel costs directly reduces drivers' profits, while freight rates are not always adjusted accordingly.
Mr. Minh Hoang - a technology car driver in Hanoi - said that fuel costs currently account for the majority of daily operating costs. When gasoline prices increase, the amount of money spent on refueling also increases, while income does not increase correspondingly.
A technology motorbike driver in Hanoi said that drivers' income depends a lot on the number of trips per day. When gasoline prices increase, each trip, even if the fare does not change, the cost is higher than before.
According to drivers, the increase in costs while fares and discount policies do not change makes many people have to calculate more carefully about operating hours during the day. Some drivers choose to drive vehicles at high demand hours to optimize income, while others are thinking about switching vehicles to electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles create new movement in the ride-hailing market
The technology ride-hailing market report released by Q&Me in January 2026 based on a survey in 21 provinces and cities in Vietnam shows that a new landscape in this field is gradually taking shape.
According to the report, in terms of frequency of regular use - an index reflecting user loyalty - Xanh SM is leading with 52%, surpassing Grab's 44% and far ahead of other competitors such as Be with 4%.
The advantage of this electric car company does not only appear in one area but takes place in all three regions. In the Northern region, Xanh SM accounts for 52% of users who choose to use it most often, compared to 43% of Grab and 5% of Be.
In the Central and Central Highlands regions, the gap is even larger when this electric vehicle brand reaches 56% market share, while Grab is at 44%.
Even in the southern region, Xanh SM is also 48% better.The remaining traditional ride-hailing companies are 45% and 7% respectively.
These figures show that Vietnamese consumers are becoming more open to new choices in the transportation sector, especially electric vehicle services.
This change also reflects two different approaches of businesses in attracting and retaining customers.
According to user satisfaction data analysis, Xanh SM received positive reviews thanks to standardized service quality. 47% of customers are satisfied with good car quality and 33% appreciate the driver's attitude.
The vehicle ownership and centralized management business model helps this company synchronously control service quality, limiting problems that once existed in the sharing economy model such as car odors or service attitude.
The report also shows that Xanh SM has an advantage in the system's response speed. In parallel ride-hailing tests, Xanh SM's average ride confirmation time is 19.07 seconds, faster than traditional ride-hailing companies.
Regarding costs, many customers assess that Xanh SM has lower fares in most cases.
In major cities, Xanh SM's fares are lower than other airlines in 69% of surveyed trips.
These figures show that the ride-hailing market is undergoing clear changes, in which electric vehicles are gradually becoming a new choice for many users. In that context, many gasoline car drivers are also facing pressures and challenges as fuel costs increase and the trend of vehicle conversion is increasingly clear.
